Families of Stardust victims vow to block any redevelopment of site unless they are consulted on memorial

The families of the Stardust victims have vowed to block any redevelopment of the site of the tragedy unless they are consulted about a memorial to the 48 young people who died there.

The 7.4 acre Butterly Business Park in Artane, Dublin, which housed the former Stardust nightclub, is currently up for sale.

Some 48 people lost their lives and 214 were injured when fire tore through the nightclub during a St Valentine’s Day Disco in 1981.

Speaking yesterday, Antoinette Keegan, whose sisters Mary and Martina perished in the blaze, said the families want a “fitting memorial” on the site.

She vowed to hold “massive” protests if the purchaser does not consult families about a memorial.

“Whoever is going to purchase this site if they don’t cooperate with us and they don’t liaise with us, we’ll have massive, massive protests down there. We’ll stop them from doing anything. We done it before and we’ll do it again. We’ll have hundreds of people coming on, because we have thousands supporting us. People will come in their droves and they’ll block anything going up there, any demolition, anything.

“The families have to be kept in consultation at all times, they have to know what’s going on. And if they don’t agree, they don’t agree and nothing can happen. 38 years is a long time for wait for this.”

Ms Keegan said she wants to see a museum detailing the history of the tragedy built on the site of the former nightclub as well as a memorial garden with the names of the victims on display.

“We had to place our own memorial there on the 14th of February just gone. We had to get it made, just as a sign of love and hope to the 48 victims that they will never be forgotten and that’s where the Stardust happened. Because as it is, at this moment in time, nobody knows where the Stardust happened. There’s nothing down there to represent the biggest disaster in the history of the State.

“We’re calling on people that are going to buy this…to come and talk to us families and let us have participation in the site itself.

“We want a fitting memorial there for the 48 that were killed – just like 9/11, just like Hillsborough, just like Bloody Sunday,” she added.

When contacted by Independent.ie Cairn Homes, which is selling Butterly Business Park, said: “The company is conscious of the sensitivities of the location and is happy to meet and listen to the Stardust victims’ families.”

Eugene Kelly, whose brother Robert died in the blaze, said he wants the State to buy the site and “put a proper memorial on it”.

He said the victims families are due to meet Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the end of May to discuss their campaign to have a new inquest held into the tragedy.

“He’s only a young Taoiseach. I’d love to see him be the man to give these families justice once and for all,” he added.

The Butterly Business Park, on Kilmore Road, is currently listed for sale by agents Agnew Quinn which are understood to be guiding €16.5m for the scheme.